


The Heart of the Sea

by ZinniaRoseStark



Category: Aquaman (2018)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Angst, Atlantis, Atlantis Culture, Attempted Kidnapping, Attempted Murder, Beach Sex, Eventual Smut, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Fluff, Interspecies Relationship(s), Jealousy, Loss of Virginity, Moby Dick References, Ocean, Ocean Sex, Oral Sex, Post-Aquaman (2018), Protective Arthur, Rough Sex, Sea Monsters, Tattoos, Titanic References, attempted drowning, thalassophobia
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-06
Updated: 2019-11-03
Packaged: 2020-01-05 22:19:13
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 14,904
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18375209
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ZinniaRoseStark/pseuds/ZinniaRoseStark
Summary: Marina Allen has dedicated her life to conserving wildlife but when she stumbles upon the truth about the company she’s working for she decides to take a stand. A stand that leads her to nearly being killed and meeting her soulmate by chance. It seems like fate is intent upon repeating history but Arthur Curry has other ideas.





	1. Part 1

Arthur’s not sure why he’s being drawn to this particular place. For the past three days something has drawn him to this spot off the coast of Massachusetts. It’s roughly 20 miles North of where he grew up, but he still doesn’t know why he’s being drawn to this spot. The ocean here is quiet, few sea creatures roaming through the area. He does a quick scan but he can’t feel anything off. He’s ready to turn and leave, but that nagging feeling in his gut, the itch he can’t scratch burning in the back of his mind like it had been for the past three days intensifies.

 

Then he feels it. A fishing boat has dropped its anchor a few yards away. He hadn’t heard or felt it approaching, so caught up with the feeling running through his body. He immediately recognizes something being wrong. Why would a fishing boat drop anchor in a place where there’s no fish? He swims closer, the nagging feeling, the itch in his head getting stronger the closer he gets to the boat. He leaps out of the water, landing on the deck of the boat. Three pairs of eyes turn to him, two men standing on the far side of the ship holding a girl between them. She’s young and terrified, her arms tied behind her back, one man holding a heavy weight while the other is frozen in the motion of pushing her over the side.

 

Arthur’s fists clench at his sides, his hand tightening around his trident. Anger roils through him, his golden eyes settling on the two men. “Let her go.”

 

The man holding the girl smirks at him. “Poor choice of words, mate.” The men let go of the girl, the weight dragging her over the side and she lands in the water with a splash.

 

She’s sinking fast, the weight dragging her down as it’s supposed to. Time seems to slow as Arthur scans his situation for a half a second, easily overpowering the two men, knocking them unconscious but not without missing the third man that had been hiding in his haste to get to the girl. He dives over the side, pushing himself down to where she’s sinking. He reaches her in seconds, stopping her fall as he tears the ropes easily letting the weight continue sinking until it hits the sea floor. Her eyes are closed, her face straining as she holds her breath. He wastes no time, pushing them back up to the surface, the girl gasping for air once they breach. He senses the boat speeding away, heading south back in the direction it had presumably come from.

 

His attention is drawn to the girl as she wraps her arms around his neck, clinging to him. A jolt runs through him as her bare arm brushes his neck, his grip on her tightening. Every nerve in his body is alight, his very cells vibrating at her touch. Every inch of him feels as if it is vibrating with energy, more intense than it had been when he touched Atlan’s Trident for the first time.

 

Arthur knows what’s happening. His father had told him when he was a child about soulmates. They weren’t rare among humans, but it was rare for Atlanteans to have soulmates. His parents were soulmates, brought together by fate. It would seem fate had the same trick up her sleeve for him. Everything suddenly seems clearer, every sensation more intense than before. The water lapping at his skin, the air he’s breathing, the feel of the girl’s body pressed against his. She’s trembling slightly in his arms, the water cold against her skin, though it has no effect on him.

 

“Take a deep breath.” He watches the confusion cross her face for a moment before it passes and he waits until he feels her take a breath, her chest pressing against his as she breathes in.

 

He sinks them back into the water, his grip on her tightening slightly before he propels them forward. He makes the twenty mile swim to his father’s lighthouse in just over a minute, using the water to lift them onto the dock. He lays her gently on the wood, her wet hair sticking to her face, plump lips parted as she breathes. He kneels over her, watching her as she stares up at him with wide eyes.

 

“Y-You’re…”

 

The side of his mouth lifts in a grin. “Yeah.”

 

She nods slowly, the wheels in her brain turning fast. “T-Thank y-you.” The adrenaline is finally wearing off, the cold air nipping at her already frozen skin from the cool water she had just been in. She can’t stop the shivering as her body works to warm itself back up. He doesn’t seem to be bothered by the cold, but then again he’s also like, half god.

 

Before she even realizes what’s happening, she’s in his arms again and he’s making his way to the house she hadn’t seen. She unconsciously presses closer to the warmth of his chest, the armor he’s wearing hard against her skin, but she pays no mind to it.  “Wh-Where are we?”

 

“My father’s house.” He says, taking the stairs two at a time. “I know it’s kind of soon for you to be meeting my parents, but you need to be somewhere safe, and this is the safest place for you right now.” He reaches the top of the stairs, walking the short path to the front door of the house.

 

He’s on the porch when the door opens, his mother standing there. “Arthur?” He watches her surprise morph into confusion when she sees the girl in his arms.

 

Arthur sets her down on her feet again, keeping one large hand on her back. “She needs someplace safe to stay right now.”

 

A look of understanding crosses Atlanna’s face and she nods, holding the door open for them. “Then bring her in. She’ll freeze out here.” Arthur leads the girl into the house, his father standing in the living room having heard the exchange. Atlanna grabs a towel, wrapping it around the girl, Arthur letting her go reluctantly. “Let’s get you in some dry clothes.”

 

Arthur watches them go up the stairs until he can’t see them anymore, Thomas staring at his son with a knowing look in his eye.

 

********

 

Marina stares at herself in the mirror of the small bathroom. The clothes Atlanna had given her to wear are slightly too big, but they’re warm and dry. She has her hair wrapped up in a towel to keep from dripping on her dry clothes. Her face is bruising from where they knocked her out, her lip split from where they’d struck her. Her wrists are raw but thankfully not bleeding. She had been stupid, careless. She was too sure of her safety and it had led her to almost being killed. They would have killed her had her saviour not shown up.

 

Her soulmate.

 

The word seems foreign to her. She knows about them, everyone knows about them. But it seems strange to her. She hadn’t ever put much thought into her soulmate. She knew she’d meet them whenever she was supposed to meet them and they’d be perfect for each other. Maybe she should have put a little more thought into it. Perhaps this situation would seem less strange to her. Or maybe it would have made it worse. People were supposed to meet their soulmates in coffee shops or while grocery shopping or at work but she had met hers when he saved her from drowning. Oh, and he’s also half god and a superhero.

 

Her head is hurting, but whether that’s from the events from today or thinking too hard she’s not sure. She takes the towel out of her hair, scrunching more water out of it before collecting her wet clothes from where she’d put them in the bathtub to avoid getting more water on the floor. She unlocks the door and opens it up, almost walking face first into a hulking mass. The hulking mass of her soulmate.

 

She lets her eyes raise, her head tilting back as she looks up at him. His eyes are burning with intensity, sending a shiver down his spine as he looks down at her. His golden colored eyes scream of the power he holds, hidden under the surface of human flesh. He’s changed out of his armor, donning a simple black tank top and jeans. His hair is damp, hanging around his face in waves. He nearly takes up the doorway as he moves forward into the bathroom. Marina stumbles back a few steps, making room for him.

 

He lets his eyes scan her face before focusing on her forehead. “You’re bleeding.” He shuts the bathroom door again, taking the towel and clothes out of her hands before dropping it on the floor behind him. He lifts her onto the counter like she weighs nothing. She lifts a hand, touching a sore spot along her hairline. Indeed, her fingers come back red. Her soulmate leans down, grabbing a first aid kit from below the sink. Marina lets her eyes scan over him for a second, taking in the intricate tattoos on his skin. She wants to reach out and touch them, trace them with her fingers but she’s not quite sure where that line between them is yet.

 

He grabs a washcloth, getting it wet with cold water before gently dabbing at her cut. His touch is gentle, surprising for such a large man. Even sitting on the counter they’re not eye-to-eye. She wonders if all Atlanteans are so big. His mother was tall and regal, every part of her screaming royalty. He holds himself the same way, but every inch of him screams power and control. Her stomach tightens in a knot at the thought. She lets her eyes trail back up to his face, watching him as he cleans the blood off her forehead. His free hand is sitting on the counter next to her hip. His entire body radiates warmth and he smells like the ocean. Not the putrid stink of dead fish and seaweed like she was used to. But the smell of fresh sea air, the salty, wet smell after a storm. It’s her favorite smell, and not just because of him.

 

There’s a quiet intensity in the air, the proximity between them causing every part of her body to light up, to reach towards him and bring him closer. She would have gladly done it, but there’s so many questions she has, so much she needs to know. She doesn’t want to get invested in this until she knows for sure. So instead, she tries to strike up a conversation to distract her. “Thank you again, uh, Mr. Aquaman.”

 

A deep chuckle rumbles in his chest and he flashes perfect white teeth at her. She finds she likes his smile. “My name is Arthur Curry. King of Atlantis and Protector of the Oceans. Son of the Land and Seas. Occasionally known as the Fish Man. But you can just call me Arthur.”

 

Marina stares at him for a moment. “W-Wow. Those are some impressive titles. I-I’m Marina Allen, environmental conservationist and Biology student.”

 

He glances up at her face as he grabs a band-aid. “Allen? Any relation to Barry Allen?”

 

She smiles a little, shaking her head. “No. Though, I have been getting that a lot recently.”

 

He nods, putting the band-aid over her cut. It’s not deep enough to need stitches, but it is a head wound. Her skin is soft under his fingers, the creamy smoothness of it begging to be touched. He finally inspects her, taking her in. Her hair falls down to her waist in dark waves, still wet from her little dip in the ocean. Her eyes are deep green, the color of seaweed and framed by thick lashes. His eyes trace the thin line of her nose to her plump lips, pink and begging to be kissed. He remembers the soft feel of her against him as he’d held her in the water. He wants to feel her again, but he holds back. He has more pressing questions for her first before they have that discussion.

 

He grips her waist again, lifting her off the counter before setting her on her feet again. “Come on. My mom’s making tea.”

 

He leads her back down the stairs, her small hand engulfed in his. He leads her over to the couch, letting her sit before wrapping a blanket around her. She’s still shivering slightly, her skin cold to the touch. Arthur sits on the couch next to her as his mother brings in two mugs of tea. Marina thanks Atlanna, sipping the warm beverage. Arthur had told his parents what had happened while Marina was changing.

 

Arthur lets her sit for a moment, sipping her tea before he lets the burning question come out. “Marina?” She looks up at him. “Why were those men trying to kill you?”

 

She looks back down at her mug for a few moments, sitting in silence while she collects her thoughts. It doesn’t hardly seem like anyone in the room is breathing while they wait for the answer. “I stole data from the company they were hired by.” She’s silent for another moment. “I was interning for a company in Boston. They claimed to be dedicated to conservation, especially focusing on marine life. I did mostly sorting, files, accounts basic intern stuff that no one else wants to do. It was my second month interning with them when I came across a file. They had been working behind the curtain to set up another offshore drilling site but their request had been denied. So, I dug a little further and found they had been sending money, bribing politicians to approve their request. I knew I had to do something, so I sent the files to a news station. Kept myself anonymous, but eventually the truth was revealed.”

 

“That was you?” Thomas asks, sitting forward in his chair. “You’re the one who leaked that information. It was all over the news a couple months ago.”

 

Marina nods. “Yeah. That was me. I quit my internship along with a long list of other employees just to make it seem inconspicuous, but I wasn’t careful enough. I was planning to leave, go back to Seattle where I grew up, get away from the mess for a while. But they were able to trace the emails I sent to my computer and tracked me down. They sent men to dispose of me for ruining their plans. I guess they figured drowning me would be the easiest way to not leave a trace.” She chews on her bottom lip for a moment. “They’ll know what happened.” She looks up at Arthur. “They’ll know I’m not dead, and they’ll come after me until I am.”

 

Arthur gently cups her chin, his thumb tracing her jawline. “I won’t let that happen. You’re safe here for now.”

 

She searches his face for a moment, finding no hint of malice, no lie in his eyes. “Thank you.”

 

He holds her for a moment longer before releasing her, standing up. “I need to get answers. I’ll be back tonight.”

 

He turns on his heel, making his way back down to the dock, his mother following. He stops at the end of the dock, looking out at the expanse of the ocean. “Is there any way?”

 

His mother is silent beside him for a few moments. “I don’t know. I’ve never heard of one.”

 

“I can’t do this to her. I have a duty. I can’t turn my back on that duty, but if I don’t turn my back on my duty, I turn my back on her. I don’t want her to be stuck standing on a dock every day, waiting for my return.”

 

His mother smiles up at him sadly. “Fate can be cruel. But you will always be surprised at what you find when you go looking.”

 

Arthur looks down at his mother for a moment. “Look after her. I’ll be back soon.”

 

Atlanna watches her son dive into the ocean, making his way back to Atlantis. The fates had a way of being unnecessarily cruel to those who didn’t deserve it. 

  
  



	2. Part 2

Marina spent the night in Arthur’s room that night. She had been exhausted, and it had been nearing eleven and still Arthur hadn’t come back. She had wanted to wait for him, but her brain had other ideas and she was ushered to his old room for the night. Atlanna had reassured her it was clean, and it was. Impeccably clean. Even the sheets smelled clean meaning he didn’t spend much time there. Ever since she had worked out who he was, she knew there was a chance it wouldn’t work between them. He was an Atlantean, not to mention their king. He couldn’t just up and move to the surface world and leave everything behind. Even if he offered she’s not sure she could say yes to that. He would be giving up everything for just a simple girl like her. She wasn’t worth that.

 

She had fallen asleep faster than she thought she would, almost as soon as her head hit the pillow. Her dreams were more nightmares. Being thrown off the boat again, but this time there was no one to save her. Sinking into the depths of the ocean until the pressure was too much, and it killed her. Until her lungs couldn’t hold on and she breathed in water and suffocated. Despite her nightmares she got a decent amount of sleep, the exhaustion from the day before preventing her from waking too much in the night.

 

She woke the next morning when the sun was halfway over the horizon. Arthur’s bedroom window looked right out over the Atlantic and thus the rising sun. She’s captivated by it, watching the colors light up the sky. It had taken her time to adjust to the sun rising from the ocean. She’d grown up in a place where the sun set in the ocean and seeing it for the first time surprised her. It was different to her, almost backwards. She’d lived in Boston for almost five years but she was still trying to adjust to certain things.

 

Atlanna had washed and dried her clothes , at least giving her something to change into today. She’s not sure what will happen now, especially since she’s a wanted woman because of Arthur’s actions saving her life. No doubt they’ll be watching her apartment and everywhere between Boston and where they attempted to dump her. She wouldn’t be surprised if they watch the entire Eastern Seaboard for any sign of her. She had made a lot of enemies with a simple decision to take action and now she was paying the price.

 

She’s pulling her boots on when there’s a knock at the door. She calls for them to come in, finishing up tying her boot. She looks up, surprised to see Arthur standing in the doorway. She sits up straighter, looking up at him. “Oh! I didn’t know you were here.”

 

He smiles at her. “I got in early this morning. Took me longer than I thought it would.”

 

She nods, bending down to lace up her other boot. “So what happens now?”

 

He moves to the closet, digging around inside before tossing her a sweatshirt as she sits up. She barely keeps it from hitting her in the face, holding it up. “Now, we’re going for a drive. We need to talk about a lot of things. And as much as I love my parents, I’d rather do this privately.”

 

Something churns in Marina’s stomach, twisting at his words. She’s suddenly nervous like all those times her friends, boyfriends, would text her telling her they need to talk. No context given, no warnings, only four words that could send someone into a psychotic break from the anxiety. All the worst-case scenarios suddenly form in her head and she has to work to keep them at bay enough that her emotions don’t betray her.

 

“What’s that face for?”

 

Marina looks up, Arthur leaning against the wall, watching her. She quickly shoves all the thoughts down, standing up. “Nothing.” She pulls the sweatshirt on, the sleeves falling past her hands, the bottom nearly at her knees. “I just look like a freaking child.”

 

Arthur laughs, finding her adorable. “You look fine.” He pulls on his own jacket before offering her a hand. “Come on.”

 

She finishes rolling up the sleeves before taking his hand, letting him lead her down the stairs. He takes her out to the truck sitting by the house, helping her into the passenger seat before climbing in the driver’s side. The truck rumbles to life under them before he pulls away from the lighthouse, driving down the road. Marina braids her hair down as he drives. The sea water had not been kind to her hair. It must be some kind of Atlantean power to be immune to the effects of sea water, even when it comes to hair.

 

Arthur pulls up to a beach access point, parking along the side of the road. The beach is empty despite the nice weather that day. It was a weekday and outside tourist season. Just the way he wanted it. He helps Marina back out of the truck before leading her down the path to the beach. The tide is on its way out, not that he’s worried about it. But he’s sure she’d prefer not to have to take a dip back into the ocean after the events of the previous day.

 

He leads her along the beach to an outcropping of rock. He’d been here a thousand times, easily making his way over the rocks. Marina is slower behind him, carefully stepping so she doesn’t slip. He lifts her down off the last rock, dropping her to her feet in the sand in the small cove. He’d discovered it a few years ago and would skip school to sit in the cove and think. There was only one other person who knew about the cove, usually a common meeting place for them back when he was being trained.

 

He leads her further back, away from the receding waves. The tide was still on its way out, giving them a few hours to sit and talk before they would have to head back. She sits herself on a rock, Arthur sitting himself in the sand facing her. Her eyes are out past him, watching the waves hit the rocks a ways out from them. He keeps his eyes on her face, watching her as she stares out at the water.

 

“You like the ocean?” He finally asks her, watching her face.

 

Her lips flatten into a line for a moment before she speaks. “My mother taught me to love the beach. It was her favorite place to be. She’d spend all day on the beach if she could have. She taught me to respect the ocean and its power. Never take it for granted. But she could never get me to love swimming. It’s still not my most favorite thing to do. I’ll sit and look at the ocean, but being on it or in it…” She shakes her head. “It’s terrifying to me.” She lets out a dry laugh. “And here I am, sitting with the freaking King of Atlantis, telling him his soulmate is terrified of the ocean.”

 

He smiles a little. “No one said anything about making you get in right away.”

 

She looks down at her feet, her hands clasped in front of her. “How is it going to work? I mean, if you want it to even be a thing. I’ve heard of people rejecting soulmates and coming out the other side alright. I can understand why you’d want to, I mean I’m not making things any better by sitting here telling you I’m terrified of your home-”

 

He reaches up, putting a finger to her lips, effectively getting her to quiet down. “I’m not going to reject you.” Her eyebrows raise in question. “I’m not doing that to you. I could understand more you wanting to reject me.” He pulls his hand away, pulling his knees to his chest. “I can’t give up being king. But I don’t want to put you through that life. Sitting and waiting for god knows how long before I could return to you. Living apart, somewhere you can’t go while you’re stuck on land, standing on a dock, staring out at the ocean every day…” He trails off, keeping his eyes on the sand.

 

“I’m not rejecting you either. Even if I only see you once every ten years, that’s more than I could have hoped for. I mean, if soulmates weren’t a thing my chance at finding someone even remotely interested would have been nonexistent. But now…” She bites her lip again. “Fate put us together for a reason. I don’t want their hard work to be for nothing. Even if it took me getting thrown off a boat and nearly drowning for it to finally happen.”

 

Arthur smiles at her. “Good. Because I’m not so sure I could give you up so easily.”

 

She meets his gaze, offering him a small smile. “How is this going to work?”

 

He sighs. “I don’t know yet. I’ve got someone digging, trying to find anything, any kind of loophole so we don’t have to be apart. I’ve left Atlantis in capable hands for now so I can be on land for a while. But eventually I will have to return.”

 

She nods. “I understand. How...how long have you been king?”

 

“Almost six months. The seas are finally at peace. That’s why I’m not too worried about returning soon.”

 

Marina nods again. Fate certainly had dealt them a difficult hand. But...maybe...just maybe...if he could find a way for them to be together...she could get over her fear and join him...maybe. He had saved her life. She owed him enough to at least try. She glances back over at him, finding him studying her. “So...how...how do you want to make things work between us? I mean, as far as the boundaries we set? Because as much as every cell in my body wants me to jump your bones right now, and as much as my brain would approve, I think that’s a tad bit fast.” Marina’s cheeks are incapable of hiding the flush at the words that just left her mouth, the honest confession about how she’d been feeling for the past 24 hours. “I mean, I’ve known you for barely a day.”

 

Arthur grins at her, at the sweet flush of her cheeks. “I don’t want to push things too quickly either. I want you to be comfortable.”

 

She nods. “Thank you.” It’s silent between them for another moment. “So...what are we going to do about the people intent on killing me?”

 

He gives her a serious look. “They’re not going to get to you. I promise you.” He moves so he’s kneeling in front of her, with their current positions finally being eye to eye. “They’ll face the wrath of the seven seas if they ever try to lay a hand on you again.” His golden eyes bore into hers, his hands reaching out to hold hers. His hands are big and warm, the fingers calloused as they trace over the soft skin of her own hands. “I’m not going to let anyone hurt you. Not anymore.”

 

She searches his face for a moment before nodding. Just as before there’s no hint of a lie, no deception in his eyes. They’re intense, but they’re honest, seeming to dig down deep into her soul, looking past everything to reach the part of her desperate for hope, for someone to be there, someone to lean on. The part of her that’s reaching out and screaming for her to cling to him and never let go. It scares her, but at the same time she knows they were brought together for a reason, and thus she has no choice but to follow what her instincts are telling her. “I trust you.”


	3. Part 3

Marina has been around Atlanteans for approximately three days and she’s quickly learned how secretive they are. She knew they were secretive before, given the fact that they had remained hidden from common knowledge as nothing more than a myth for centuries until Arthur appeared in the public eye. But they weren’t keen on revealing much about their plans or what’s happening in Atlantis. She had figured this out when she and Arthur had been out on the dock looking at the ocean. That was one thing she liked about Arthur. Both of them were perfectly content sitting in silence while watching the ocean. She knew Arthur’s understanding of the ocean went far deeper than she could comprehend, far past her simple standing and staring. But she knew the chance of her getting a look inside his mind, her chance of gaining a better understanding was slim.

 

This thought is only further proved by what happens next.

 

They had been standing there, silent and content until a figure landed at the end of the dock. It was a woman, and even from the distance between them, Marina could tell she was tall. Her hair was bright red and shining in the sunlight, the green body suit she wore accentuating every feminine curve and just simply being a few feet from her made Marina doubt every ounce of self confidence she thought she had.

 

The last bit of strength Marina had shattered as soon as she looked up at Arthur’s smiling face. But his eyes weren’t on Marina. They were on the woman at the end of the dock. The woman doesn’t approach them, her eyes, blue and hard as a stormy sea flitted between the two a few times before settling on Arthur. The latter glances down at Marina, that smile faltering some.

 

“Why don’t you head back inside? I’ll be in after I take care of this.”

 

Marina feels like arguing but she doesn’t feel like it’s her place to do anything else but agree. She was his soulmate. In the sense of land dwellers she had every right to hear the conversation that would happen at the end of the dock. But she was surrounded by Atlanteans. She knew nothing of their culture, of their laws. For the first time since being around them, she truly felt insignificant. Like she was outside of something she had no right being a part of in the first place, but she couldn’t help but feel she should be a part of it.

 

She ambles back up to the house, watching as Arthur approaches the redhead. She greets him with a smile, a knowing, understanding smile that speaks volumes to Marina without her having to hear what’s being said. The redhead wraps her arms around Arthur’s neck, pulling him into a hug, pressing a kiss to his cheek. Arthur doesn’t pull away, doesn’t appear to say anything, instead he wraps his arms around the redhead. She is tall as Marina had thought she would be, just a few inches shorter than Arthur.

 

Marina turns away from them, making her way back to the house after watching Arthur and the redhead interact for a moment. Arthur hadn’t pulled away from the hug completely, instead keeping his arms around her as they’d talked. Marina had caught his smile, unable to see the look in his eyes but she’s not sure she wants to. She’s seen enough. All the things he’d said to her just a matter of days before, the promises he’d made there on the beach...were they all empty words? Had it all meant nothing, and it was simply her brain making up the parts she wanted to hear? She doesn’t want to think about it anymore, isolating herself for the rest of that day. She didn’t consider herself a jealous person, but right now it was leaving a bad taste in her mouth.

 

*********

 

Three days after the redhead’s visit, Marina finds herself on the road with Arthur once again, this time heading to Boston. Arthur is taking her to her apartment so she could finish clearing it out. It’s not a terribly long drive, but they had set out early, wanting to get there after the morning rush to make sure there’s fewer people in the apartment building, and fewer people to spot them. Their ride is silent, Marina having chalked the interaction she’d witnessed up to nothing, instead shoving it down, pretending like she wasn’t filled with self doubt, like her minimal self confidence hadn’t been shattered by simply looking at someone her soulmate obviously had a history with.

 

She’s drowning in one of Arthur’s sweatshirts again, part of the plan to keep her as disguised as possible. She didn’t have her keys but Arthur said that wasn’t a problem. He was superhumanly strong and though the landlord would not be happy about a broken doorknob and lock, it wasn’t worth the risk to draw the attention of getting him to come and unlock the door. The fewer people that were aware of their presence, the safer it would be for her.

 

“You’re awful quiet.” Arthur says, glancing at her as they near the city.

 

“They’ll be watching the apartment. They’ll know when we’re there.”

 

“Not if we get in and out fast.” Arthur grips the steering wheel with one hand, reaching over and taking Marina’s with the other. He glances at her for a second before looking back at the road.  “I’m not going to let anything happen to you. I promise.”

 

She squeezes his hand in response, not trusting her voice as she runs over every possible scenario in her head. Every moment that could go wrong, everything that could happen to them in the short time they were planning to stay. Just enough time for her to finish packing everything up and then enough time for them to get out and back to Amnesty Bay without being followed.

 

She directs Arthur to the apartment building, Arthur parking down the street a ways. They get out, the light rain thankfully giving them a reason to pull their hoods up. Arthur wraps an arm around her shoulders, pulling her against her side. He’s big enough to shield her from the rain, but she keeps her face hidden nonetheless. Arthur scans the area, but the city is bustling as everyone goes about their day, giving them a good cover as they hurry to the front of the building.

 

They’re lucky enough to catch the door as someone goes out, too busy on his phone to notice them as they slip inside. The guard doesn’t look up from his post behind the desk as they make their way to the elevator, taking it five floors up. Marina leads him to her apartment, making sure the hallway is clear before he easily breaks the lock, pushing the door open. He makes sure the apartment is clear before ushering her inside. It’s a small apartment, nothing very special especially in its empty state. Marina heads back to the bedroom to finish packing up her closet, surprised to find everything still where it had been when she had left four days and had been kidnapped from the parking garage. She had already sent a few boxes to Seattle to her family where she was supposed to be going. She would have kept to that plan had it been safe for her to leave and had she not met her soulmate. She had let her family know what was going on, and they were surprisingly supportive of her decision to stay for the time being.

 

She hastily stuffs the rest of her clothes in the box already half full, filling a bag as well. Her hands are shaking as she hurries, wanting to get out as quickly as possible. Every noise in the hallway has her stomach twisting anxiously, a nervous sweat forming on her skin. She’s barely breathing, focusing more on packing the box, though her shaking hands is making her clumsy. She doesn’t doubt that Arthur could handle himself, that he could protect her if they were caught. She had seen the videos of him on the internet and knew he could handle himself, but it’s not a very comforting thought. She’d rather just not have to see it in person if she had a choice.

 

Arthur looks through the open box in the living room as Marina packs, finding a scrapbook on top. He flips through it curiously, finding newspaper clippings and photos of Marina, all from when she was younger. She’s holding various awards, being recognized for her work in the community when she was in high school. He flips through more pages, looking through the photos and cards and various other memorabilia inside.

 

“My mother put it together. She liked to keep everything that had my name on it and every picture of me. Remember my achievements.” Marina sets a box on the floor, standing next to him as she glances at the page he’s on.

 

“Where is she now?” He asks as he flips through the last page, but it’s not the last page in the book, several more pages empty, waiting to be filled.

 

“She died back in 2011. Cancer finally took her.”

 

Arthur can hear the change in her voice, the shift in her tone. She says it nonchalantly, like she’s said the sentence a thousand times, no doubt she has. But there’s a subtle shift in her tone, a downward pitch lending to the idea that even though it happened so long ago, it’s still painful for her to remember. “I’m sorry.” He says, putting the scrapbook back in the box, sealing the top.

 

“I’m just glad she’s not suffering anymore.”

 

Arthur takes the bag from her, lifting the heavier box with the scrapbook in it. “Got everything?”

 

She nods. “Yeah. Let’s get out of here.”

 

She follows Arthur back down to the lobby, slipping out the door at the back this time. She had her spare key to her car, Arthur following closely as they make their way down two levels in the garage to where her car is parked. It’s still intact surprisingly, and she remembers she hadn’t even gotten it unlocked before they knocked her out from behind. She glances around, surrounded by parked cars as Arthur puts the boxes in her back seat. He closes the door, staring down at her.

 

“What if they have a tracker in it?”

 

Arthur puts a hand on the top of her car, leaning down close to her. “Then we’ll deal with it when the time comes.” He kisses her forehead. “I’ll catch up to you.”

 

She nods, watching him jog back to the stairs before getting into the car, starting it immediately. She doesn’t idle there, pulling out of the garage as fast as she can, getting out on the road, hoping to disappear in traffic in case anyone tries to follow. Thankfully, no one does that she can notice, escaping the garage alone. It’s impossible to tell in the Boston traffic if anyone is following, every car around her or that passes her making her heart jump a little. She’s on high alert, gripping the steering wheel until her knuckles are white.

 

Her lip is between her teeth the entire way out of the city, her eyes constantly darting to her mirrors, watching the cars as she makes her way to the highway and out of the city. Her hands are cramping but she doesn’t loosen her grip, the steering wheel the only thing keeping her grounded. She keeps vigilant, not even relaxing as the traffic eventually disappears, Arthur in his dad’s truck the only one behind her. It seemed too easy. They had just walked in and out and...nothing. Something about it felt wrong...something had her on edge, just as she had felt the day they had taken her and nearly killed her.

 

She can’t bring herself to relax even as they pull off the main road, driving down to the lighthouse. She was tempted to park the car on the road, but it would still lead them to the lighthouse, regardless. She takes a deep breath after she parks, turning the car off. The sun is getting low, their trip having most of the day. Tom comes outside when he hears them pull up, Arthur grabbing a box out of her car.

 

Tom looks relieved as he comes over to them. “Did everything go alright?”

 

Arthur smiles at his father. “Yeah. Got in and out with no sign of anyone seeing so far.”

 

Tom nods, taking the other box. “Good. Dinner’s almost ready if you’re hungry.”

 

Marina, despite everything, is starving. She hadn’t eaten since their early breakfast before they left and was feeling hungry despite the worry still gnawing at her. She carries her bag, following Tom and Arthur back into the house. The smell of stew cooking inside has her mouth watering, but she follows the men up to Arthur’s room to drop off her things.

 

Tom leaves them alone after setting the box on the bed. Marina strips out of the damp sweatshirt she’d been sweating in all day. It’s slightly embarrassing, but she’d been a nervous sweater her entire life. She’s glad to have her own clothes to wear as well. She’s digging through the haphazardly packed box when she feels a hand on her bare skin. She had been in a tank top under the sweatshirt, one she’d been wearing the day they had kidnapped her. It’s not the tank top though that’s drawn his attention, however. She closes her eyes, biting her lip as calloused fingers trace over the ink on her back, sitting above her right shoulder blade. She’d got it done when she was 18 to commemorate her favorite porpoise. She stays still as he traces the tattoo of the orca on her skin, her heart pounding for a different reason now.

 

“You like orcas?” His voice rumbles behind her, nearly vibrating against her back from his proximity.

 

She nods. “They’ve been my favorite porpoise since the 5th grade.”

 

He’s silent for a moment, his hand sliding higher and settling on her shoulder. “Have you ever seen one in person?”

 

She shakes her head. “No. My 5th grade class took a trip to the San Juan Islands to whale watch among other educational things but we saw no orcas.”

 

“Would you like to meet one?”

 

She turns around, looking up at him. “I-I...what?”

 

He grins at her. “Would you like to meet an orca? In person?”

 

“I-I don’t...how would I…” She flounders for a moment, looking up at him.

 

He smirks. “King of the sea, remember?”

 

She closes her mouth, nodding slowly. “Right. That makes sense.”

 

“Someday soon I’ll introduce you.”

 

She nods, turning back around to dig through her clothes, settling on a plain t-shirt. Her arm brushes against Arthur’s chest as she pulls the shirt over her head, his body still right behind hers. She slowly turns once she pulls her shirt on, looking up at him. He’s staring down at her intensely, his golden eyes boring into her. She finds she can’t hold his gaze, looking down as she smoothes her hands over the nonexistent wrinkles in her shirt.

 

“We, uh, we should go down to dinner…” She avoids looking up at him, ready to slip past him if she needs to.

 

She doesn’t have to, Arthur taking her hand instead, leading her down to the kitchen for dinner.

 

Dinner is oddly quiet, but Marina is too hungry to really pay much attention to it. She’d had a long, emotionally taxing day and there was still a lot going through her head. She's not totally convinced that she would be safe even at the lighthouse and their trip still had her reeling. If they were watching, they had done a good job at hiding themselves. She’d have to search her car tomorrow to check for any tracking device inside, not that she would entirely know what to look for. But, then again, tomorrow could be too late. For all she knew they were on their way here right now and they’d kill four people instead of just one. They had seen Arthur on the boat and they would have seen him with her earlier that day. They’d know to prepare for him and what if they could find a way to subdue him? Separate them so they could take her out? Just find a way to kill all of them? She couldn’t let that happen. She couldn’t get innocent people killed because of her.

 

*********

 

The moon is high in the sky, the only source of light in the house. It’s silent, only the sound of the waves outside and the occasional creak of the settling house the only sounds breaking that silence. Marina is still awake, watching the stars outside the window as they move through the sky. She’ll have to be quiet, not wanting to wake the sensitive Atlanteans in the house, one of which she’ll have to pass on her way to the door.

 

She’s quiet as a mouse as she slips on her shoes, grabbing the bag she’d packed before she’d settled into bed. She’d debated getting some rest but she couldn’t get her mind to settle enough to do so. She’d been trying to figure out where to go. She’d found her wallet which she had thankfully forgotten the morning they had taken her so she could draw the money out of her account, but it wasn’t much. It could get her to Seattle but that involved buying a plane ticket and for all she knew they’d be waiting on the ground at Sea-Tac for her. All they had to do was grab her again, and she’d be done for. Or they’d given up the chase and she could go on living her life. The former was the most likely scenario, at least to her.

 

Marina slips down the stairs, taking them one at a time, careful not to make any noise. Her keys are shoved in her pocket, one hand on the rail, the other holding her bag so it doesn’t thump against anything. Each step has her heart racing, her breath frozen as she sneaks as quietly as she can to the bottom of the stairs. Now all she had to do was to get from the stairs to the door. The only obstacle? The sleeping giant on the couch. It was too small for him, his feet hanging off the end. The sight of him on the too small couch had her guilt intensifying. She’d taken over his room, forcing him to sleep in such an uncomfortable position. She should have been on the couch. He was a king after all.

 

She slowly creeps forward, walking on her toes to be as silent as possible as she passes the couch. She doesn’t waste any time looking at him as she passes, knowing she may talk herself out of leaving if she does. She knows it’ll hurt, going against what she’d told him. She wasn’t necessarily rejecting him. She’d heard of long distance soulmates before. But those usually involved constant contact and the plan of meeting up again. She was trading one ocean for another, one coast for another, but the ocean was his domain as much as the land was. More than the land was. He could easily show up in Puget Sound and find her if he wanted. She’d probably be safer moving somewhere in the middle of the continent. Somewhere far from the ocean. But she couldn’t do that. She loved the ocean too much. It had too many memories to just give it up out of fear. She could leave the East Coast, but she’d be trading it for the Pacific Northwest. That was a trade she would willingly make.

 

“Where do you think you’re going?”

  
Marina has to slap a hand over her mouth to keep from making any noise. The voice had been low and quiet, but still startled her in the dark. She was two feet from the door, completely visible to the person on the couch now, the light from the moon illuminating the living room. She had thought her heart was in her throat before, but now it was nearly beating out of her chest. Perhaps if she had looked at him, she would have been saved from the scare. It turns out he hadn’t been asleep like she’d thought. Either that, or she wasn’t nearly as quiet as she’d thought she’d been.

 

“You’re not going to leave.” He gets up off the couch, making his way over to her.

 

She stands up taller, not doing much compared to him, but it makes her feel slightly better. Like she can do this. “I have to. I’m not letting anyone get hurt because of me.”

 

He shakes his head, taking steps closer to her until he’s nearly chest to chest with her. “No one’s going to get hurt. I’ve already told you, I can keep you safe.”

 

“But at what cost? What if they find me? What if...what if your parents get hurt because of me?”

 

He scoffs. “They’ve been through worse. They can handle themselves should something happen. But if you go out there alone, if you leave, I can’t keep you safe.”

 

“But what if I don’t want you to keep me safe?” She regrets the words as soon as they leave her mouth. She can see in the pale light coming in through the windows he wasn’t expecting them. She feels everything bubbling up, the emotions she’d been facing the past few days since the encounter on the dock and the stress of their trip to Boston mixing, swirling inside her like a whirlpool she can’t control. She knows she’s treading in dangerous waters, but she can’t gain control of it and she knows things are about to get bad. “Look, I appreciate you saving my life. I do. I appreciate everything you’ve done for me...but this isn’t going to work. A part of me wants it to. A part of me thought it could but it just can’t.”

 

“I told you, I’m going to make this work. I’m going to find a way.”

 

“But if you can’t? I’m not like you. I can’t ever be like you and all that’s going to do is cause me pain. It’s going to cause me pain, and it’s going to cause you pain.”

 

“I don’t care about it causing me pain. I’ll do anything for you, Marina. I’ll turn my back and leave Atlantis if that’s what it’s going to take. Don’t give up on this before it even has a chance. Don’t give up on us.”

 

Marina feels tears stinging her eyes, but she refuses to let them fall. She can’t ask him to do something like that. I mean, she could, but she couldn’t bring herself to live with the guilt that he turned his back on being King of Atlantis just for her. Just to be with someone who may not even live to see next week. She thinks back to the redhead on the dock, the way she’d looked at him, the way they’d interacted. That was something that could happen. That was something possible. With her there wasn’t anything. “I was told all my life soulmates are supposed to be equals. Two different sides but on the same coin. That won’t ever be possible for us. We’ll always be two different sides of two different coins. I don’t see how that will ever not be painful. How that won’t drive us apart no matter how hard we try to fight it. I was willing to try, I was willing to figure something out, but now...now I can’t be sure. I don’t know what I want anymore. So much has happened and now this...I just...I can’t...I don’t think-”

 

She’s cut off by a pair of lips meeting hers. It takes her by surprise, her words cut off suddenly as he kisses her. His facial hair is rough against her skin, tickling her but she quickly forgets about it, forgets about everything they had just been talking about. The whirlpool that had been nothing but a swirling vortex inside of her suddenly dissipates, sending shock waves through her very being. Or maybe that was just an effect of his kiss.

  
He takes the bag out of her hand, dropping to the floor with a thud. Her back meets the door behind her, a big hand snaking around to settle on her lower back. He tastes salty, briny, like the sea. It’s not unpleasant though, her body trembling from the withdrawal of the adrenaline that had just been coursing through her and the feel of her soulmate closer than he’d ever been.

 

He pulls away after a moment, leaning his forehead against hers. “You were thinking too much.” They catch their breath for a moment, his nose brushing against hers. “You’re staying here. There’s going to be sacrifices that have to be made if this is going to work, but I told you I would find a way, and I always keep my promises.”

 

She looks into his eyes again, glowing slightly in the dark. Again there’s no sign of a lie in them, instead their full of genuine determination. “You’re very stubborn, you know.”

 

He breaks out in a grin. “That shouldn’t surprise you. You’ve met my dad.” He bends down, grabbing her bag before slinging it over his shoulder. “Come on. You need to get some rest.”

 

She lets him lead her back up the stairs, both of them being quiet as they make their way back to his room. The air in the house is cool, the seasons in the process of changing with winter quickly on the way. Marina pulls off her boots again, sitting on the bed where she’d occupied earlier that evening. Arthur watches her, standing by the doorway. She looks up at him, his form partly hidden in the dark, but she can see his eyes reflecting the light from the stars.

 

“No trying to sneak out in the middle of the night again, alright?” She nods her answer, looking down at her hands. “Now get some sleep. We can talk more tomorrow.”

  
He’s halfway out the door when she finally finds her voice. “Arthur?”

 

He pauses, turning to look back at her. She thinks about everything that had happened that day, the panic she’d felt, the exhaustion from the tension she’d had all day. The broiling emotions that had been coursing through her on their mission to get her apartment cleared out weighing down on her still. She thought about the fear she’d felt, the guilt she’d had at the thought she could cause three innocent people’s deaths. The fear that had driven her to almost making a stupid decision and leaving the only safe place she’d been in a long time. The only place that felt like it could be a home, the only person that felt like they could be a home. She finds herself looking back at him, worrying her lip again. “Will you stay with me?”

 

For a moment he doesn’t move, making her worry her lip even more. It’s a bad habit, one she’s had since she was little, something that both sides of her family were guilty of doing. She keeps worrying her lip even as he moves back into the room, closing the door behind him. He strips out of his shirt, climbing into the bed next to her. The large bed suddenly seems much smaller with him on it, but she doesn’t mind.

 

He reaches out, pulling her lip from between her teeth. “You’re going to make yourself bleed if you keep doing that.” His hand slides to the back of her neck as he leans up, kissing her again. “Get some sleep. I’ll be right here.”

 

He lays back down, keeping himself distanced as much as he can from her. She lays down on her side, her back to him as she pulls the covers up. She can feel his warmth despite the few inches between them, and she finds its comforting despite the turmoil she’d been through thanks to him over the past few days. She finds the anger, the jealousy, any bad feelings she’d been harboring disappearing as she lays next to him, eventually drifting off to sleep.


	4. Part 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mostly a filler as an apology for the very long wait.

Marina is warm, almost too warm when she wakes up. The sun is rising, painting the sky pink and orange. Her memories come back to her as she watches the room shift colors with the rising sun, the memories of what happened the night before. Arthur is still fast asleep, pressed up against her. He’s a solid weight against her back, one arm thrown over her waist, his leg between hers. She can feel his breath on the back of her head, his body radiating warmth against her. Her shirt has risen up slightly during the night, giving her direct contact with him. 

 

With everything that had happened since meeting him, she’d never really had time to think about being with him. She knew how strong soul bonds could be, she’d watched her few friends almost lose their minds until they sated the desire their souls seemed to carry after meeting their soulmate. She can’t deny she had felt some, but she would have regardless of if they were soulmates. He’s utterly gorgeous and strong and remarkably sweet. All the feelings she’s had, all the emotions she’d felt since they’d met had pushed aside the desire but now she can’t deny the feeling bubbling up in her chest. 

 

Arthur shifts in his sleep, pressing closer to her. She can feel him now through his jeans, pressed right up against her. His leg slides higher between her own, and one shift of her hips and she could relieve some pressure between her legs. But she doesn’t dare. Not yet. 

 

She’s not sure how long she lays there, frozen in time and space as she waits for Arthur to wake. The sun rises above the horizon, the light fading to yellow. She can hear Tom and Atlanna getting up and moving downstairs. Maybe she should get up, let Arthur sleep. He couldn’t have been getting much on the couch downstairs. But there’s another problem. How is she going to get up without disturbing him? He’s wrapped around her tight like an octopus, holding her firmly against him. Even if she could wiggle out and put a pillow in her place, why would she want to? Maybe because if she stays any longer she may lose her head, and she doesn’t exactly want her first time with her soulmate to be in his parent’s house while they sit downstairs unknowingly. She would never be able to look them in the eye again. 

 

Carefully she maneuvers her way out of his arms, sticking her pillow where her body was just moments before. She stays still as Arthur curls tighter around her pillow, letting out a sigh before settling back to sleep. She creeps out of the room quietly, heading down the stairs, following the smell of hash browns. 

 

“Good morning, dear.” Atlanna greets her. 

 

“Good morning.” 

 

“Is Arthur upstairs?” 

 

Marina nods. “I thought he might be more comfortable, and he deserves to get a good night’s sleep.” 

 

Atlanna gives her a knowing look. “Good. I take it he’s still asleep?” 

 

She nods. “Yeah, I don’t think a bomb would wake him at this point.” 

 

“Typical.” Atlanna smiles over her mug of tea. “He can sleep like the dead when he wants to.” 

 

Marina smiles, taking a seat at the table after Tom reassures her he doesn’t need help. It’s a few more minutes before Arthur gets up, his heavy footsteps creaking down the stairs. He greets his parents when he enters the kitchen before taking the seat next to Marina. He kisses her head, smiling at her softly. She’s glad she got up when she did. 

 

They eat breakfast in a comfortable silence, Arthur’s hand wandering a bit under the table. Marina has to fight to repress shivers as his calloused fingers run over the skin of her leg. The lord really must be testing her today. 

 

Arthur steals her away after they clean up breakfast, taking her back down to the beach. It’s a nice day, warmer than they had been and there’s a few people there. Arthur holds her hand, walking with her near the water. It’s silent between them for a few paces, Arthur’s head lost at sea for a moment. 

 

“Are we going to talk about last night?” Arthur finally says, slowing his pace a bit. 

 

Marina is quiet for a moment. “What’s there to talk about?” 

 

Arthur stops, turning his back to the ocean. It bothers her, her mother always telling her to never turn her back to the ocean, but she guesses it wouldn’t matter for him. He technically rules it. “You were going to leave.” 

 

Marina looks down, kicking at a rock buried in the sand with her shoe. “I was.” 

 

“I’m not that bad, am I?” She can hear the joking tone in his voice but there’s a hint of seriousness to it too. 

 

She shakes her head. “No. No, you’re kind of perfect.” She sighs. “It’s not you...it’s me.” 

 

Arthur cups her cheek, his hand warm despite the cool air around them. “Talk to me.” 

 

“I just...you’re practically a god and you’re perfect and you’re handsome and brave and strong and...you don’t deserve someone as plain and simple as me. You deserve…” Marina bites her lip, Arthur’s back straightening as he gauges the meaning of her words. 

 

“Look, there’s nothing going on with Mera and I, alright? There may have been, had things gone differently. Had I not met you. But I have you now. You’re everything I need. I’ve had enough extravagance and surprises for a lifetime. Did you ever think that maybe I wanted something plain and simple?” 

 

Marina finally looks up at him. “No. I didn’t.” 

 

Arthur smiles softly at her. “I’m a king when I’m in the water. But it would be nice to just be Arthur sometimes too.” Marina leans into his touch, the water lapping at Arthur’s heels but he doesn’t seem to notice. “We will find a way for this to work. And forget Mera, alright? I’d say green isn’t a good color on you but it really is. But there’s no need for it. I’m all yours, baby.” 

 

Marina can’t help but smile, lifting onto her toes to meet Arthur halfway. He tastes like the sea air around them, his arms warm as they wrap around her body. He lifts her up, carrying her away from the water and up the beach. They’re far enough away from the few people on the beach not to be noticed. 

 

Arthur flops back in the sand, holding Marina on top of him. He cups her face, his thumbs brushing over the warmth of her cheeks. She’s warm and soft over him, desire bubbling up in his chest but he forces it down, not wanting to push things while Marina is still working through her feelings. He can see the struggle, her soul wanting to draw her closer to him, but her own insecurities trying to pull it back. He’ll have to be patient, but it won’t be easy. 

 

*******

 

The next day Arthur and Tom leave early, refusing to tell Marina where they’re going. Atlanna knows something, but she won’t budge either, leaving Marina in the dark. Her mind comes up with a lot of explanations but none of them seem quite right. Atlanna helps keep her mind busy though, both working to clean the house and make dinner for that night. Marina is grateful for the distraction, trying not to think about the roiling emotions and the obvious surprise Arthur was cooking up. 

 

Marina and Atlanna are cooking dinner when they finally get back. Arthur has a big smile on his face, but he still refuses to give any hint as to what could be going on. Marina feels slightly dejected, being left out of something else, but by the way everyone is acting, she can guess she’ll be finding out soon enough. 

 

She doesn’t even have to ask Arthur to stay in his room that night, Arthur following her up the stairs automatically. It’s not terribly late, but the moon is already shining over the ocean, the stars out surrounding it. Marina keeps her gaze out the window as Arthur changes behind her, staying in his boxers as he climbs into bed. Marina had already changed, opting for one of his shirts. It was long enough it almost hit her knees and incredibly soft. She takes one last look at the calm ocean outside before joining Arthur in bed. 

 

He rolls so he’s facing her, the lamp casting a soft light in the room. Marina can’t help herself as she reaches out, trailing her fingers along one of the tattoos on his side. He stays still, golden eyes watching her as she trails her fingers up his ribs. His hand grabs hers gently, tugging her towards him. 

 

“Tickles,” he mutters, pulling her close against his chest. She rests her head over his heart, listening to it thump evenly against her ear. “I have a surprise for you tomorrow.” He says quietly, leaning his chin on her head. “Something special.” 

 

“I hate surprises.” She murmurs against his chest, pressing a soft kiss to his skin. 

 

He chuckles, squeezing her gently. “You’ll like this one. I promise.”

 


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's finally happening! They're finally going to do it!!! Mostly a filler full of smut, but I promise there's action coming soon!

Marina is laying on Arthur’s chest when she wakes the next morning. She can still hear the steady beat of his heart under her ear, one warm arm wrapped around her tight. She’s squished against him but she doesn’t mind, the heat of him comforting. He’s still fast asleep, head tilted away from her, his free arm hanging off the side of the bed. The sun isn’t quite up yet; the room painted with dusk-tinted purples. Marina watches Arthur for a while, his face relaxed, his glorious hair spread out on the pillow. She takes a moment to think about how lucky she is, how she really caught a break with the fates. Sure, there would be some problems, like him having to leave to go back to Atlantis and them being two different species, but otherwise she feels pretty lucky. 

 

Arthur wakes with the sun, the light painting the room a soft orange as he stirs. His arm pulls her tighter against his chest, his grip almost painful on her. She’s quickly reminded of his immense strength, capable of breaking her in half like a toothpick if he wanted. The thought should terrify her, but instead an uncomfortable heat pools in her stomach. The thought of those strong, dangerous hands on her skin, tracing every curve of her body, gripping her hips, her thighs…

 

A finger on one of those hands traces her cheek, snapping her back to reality. Arthur is awake, staring down at her with his golden eyes. “What are you thinking about that’s got you all riled up this morning?” 

 

Marina blushes darker, shifting to try to get away from him. “Nothing.” His arm doesn’t budge, holding her against him still so she shifts her hips, trying to relieve some pressure. This motion brings her leg closer to the obvious tent in his sweatpants. 

 

Marina knows he goes commando most of the time. He had told her underwear could ride up in uncomfortable places in the water and then it sticks to your skin so you can’t even fix it. It’s easier for him to just go without, even in bed. She, however, did not share his belief, or lack of belief in underwear and hers were getting uncomfortable damp in her position pressed up against him. Her body, her very soul reaching out to try to make them fully one. 

 

Arthur is watching her, his eyes lidded, one of his hands resting precariously on her hip. Her own heart is pounding in her chest, her brain screaming at her to kiss him, to feel him fully against her. Inside her. Bringing them together as one. But they can’t be fully one. There will always be a part of him that is unreachable to her. 

 

Arthur cups her cheek, lifting her face back so she’s looking up at him. “You’re thinking too much.” He moves her so she’s almost completely on top of him, his hard length poking into her thigh. 

 

“Arthur, your parents…” 

 

“They know what happens between soulmates.” He shrugs, pulling her down for a kiss. 

 

“I may never be able to look them in the face again.” She murmurs against his lips, trying to ignore the bulge pressing between her legs. 

 

He could force her into it. He’s twice as big as she is and not to mention superhumanly strong. He could hold her down with one hand and take her right there but he’s not like that. He lets her go, letting her climb off him and head to the bathroom before she can change her mind. At least this way she’ll be able to look his parents in the eye a little longer. 

 

****

 

“Don’t you know you’re supposed to wait 30 minutes after eating before you swim?” 

 

Arthur drags her away as soon as they finish breakfast. He takes her down to the dock, grinning like a madman. “That’s just a myth. Besides, that rule doesn’t apply to me.” 

 

She’s slightly apprehensive as he pulls her to the end of the dock, kissing her hand before telling her to wait there. He dives gracefully into the water, leaving her standing there, watching the churning white water under her feet. She feels slightly dizzy watching it, her legs suddenly feeling like she’s on a ship in a storm. She kneels down, feeling like she might fall in if she doesn’t. 

 

Thankfully Arthur doesn’t leave her waiting for long. His head pops out of the water, grinning at her. “Look!” He points out toward the horizon and her gaze follows, her eyes opening wide. 

 

Six dorsal fins slide out of the water in the distance, coming closer to the dock. She can see the familiar black and white heads as they come up for air, working their way closer to where Arthur is. 

 

“Arthur…” 

 

“I told you you’d get to meet some.” 

 

She watches in awe as they swim over to Arthur, swimming around them. “This is incredible!” 

 

Arthur holds a hand up to her. “Come on.” 

 

Anxiety twists at her stomach and she shakes her head. “No, I’m fine looking from up here.” 

 

He gives her a look. “I won’t let anything happen to you. I promise.” 

 

Marina looks down at his hand, watching the orcas swim lazy circles close by. She chews on her lip for a moment before sitting on the edge of the dock, taking a deep breath and closing her eyes before sliding off the edge and into the water. The cold is like a punch to the gut, her body trembling with adrenaline as she breaks the surface. Arthur has his arms around her instantly, holding her against him, anchoring her there against the waves that would have carried her to the rocks below the dock. 

 

He makes sure she’s alright before swimming them out right into the middle of the pod of orcas. They swim around her and Arthur curiously, one of them, a female, coming closer. She nudges Marina’s arm with the gentlest of touches, making clicking noises at her. 

 

“She’s saying you can touch her.” Arthur says, putting his hand on the orca’s head. 

 

Marina holds her hand out, placing it on the Orca’s nose. Her skin is rubbery to the touch, but slick all at once. She rubs the orca’s head, unable to hide her smile. The other orcas swim around them, looking at Marina curiously. 

 

“Thank you for this.” Marina says, looking up at Arthur’s face. 

 

He smiles at her, pressing his forehead to hers. “I would do this every day for you if you would let me.” 

 

Marina can’t help but let out a laugh. “You’re too good to me, Arthur.” 

 

He pulls her closer, his grip tightening around her. “That’s because you’re my soulmate. You deserve the world.” 

 

She smiles. “I don’t think I can handle the world.” 

 

“No? How about just the sea?” 

 

She gazes into his golden eyes, her hands tangling in his wet hair. “I think I can manage that.” 

 

They meet halfway, their lips meeting like water on the rocks, neither of them able to hold back the immense pressure that had been building between them. It comes out like a geyser, flowing between them simultaneously and bursting forth with no restraint. Marina feels as if she’s going to melt into the sea and be carried away, but Arthur somehow holds her together. 

 

A splash of water brings them back to reality for a moment, Arthur laughing before putting his hand on the male orca’s head. “Yes, thank you for doing this. You will find plenty of fish when you return to your home.” 

 

The orcas click at them as they swim away, leaving Arthur and Marina alone in the water. Marina finds she misses their company, but her attention is quickly brought back to Arthur as he nips at her ear. 

 

“Hold on and take a breath.” 

 

“This again?” She asks, her arms tightening around his neck. She doesn’t wait for an answer, taking a deep breath in and closing her eyes. 

 

She feels him submerge them in the water before propelling himself forward, the water seeming to glide over them as he makes a short trip this time, breaking the surface as soon as his feet hit the sandy ocean floor near the beach. Marina already knows where they are, the receding tide revealing their cove. The air is cold, nearly frigid as it bites at her wet skin, but her body is burning with a fire inside of her, her back hitting the damp sand beneath them. Arthur holds himself up over her, dripping water onto her, and she takes a second to look around. 

 

“Did you plan this?” 

 

He shrugs. “Well, not quite like this.” 

 

He doesn’t give her time to respond, leaning down and pressing his lips to hers. Her wet clothes are sticking to her as his hands run up her sides, his thumbs just ghosting her breasts before he drops to his elbows over her. His body is all hard lines and solid muscle, but his skin is shockingly smooth as she runs her hands over his back. Every inch of her body is charged with energy, pulsing between them in a way only they can understand.

 

“Arthur…” His name comes out in a moan, her body responding to his every movement. “I need you. I can’t hold on any longer.” 

 

He shushes her, pecking her lips. “I know. God, I’ve been fighting it so hard. I wanted to just take you right there in my parent's house this morning. I didn’t care if they heard.” His thumb brushes over her bottom lip. “Looking all worked up and innocent laying there.” 

 

His words have that heat pooling in her stomach again, and if her panties hadn’t been wet before, they would have been now. She shifts her hips, brushing against the hard bulge in his jeans, making him groan. 

 

“Too much of that and I may not make it very long.” 

 

He grins at her, his eyes shining like a hungry shark before he’s kissing her again. His lips move against hers like waves on a beach, molding together perfectly. She has very little experience, but she finds she doesn’t even have to think now with him. Her body almost seems to expect what he’s going to do, moving with him and in some places against him to create a desired friction. 

 

“I think I’m wearing too much.” Marina says, Arthur’s lips trailing down her jaw. 

 

“I’ll take care of that.” He nips at her neck before pulling away, sitting back on his knees. His hands find the hem of her shirt, yanking it over her head in one smooth motion. 

 

There’s an intensity burning in his eyes, the golden orbs raking over her body. She’s tempted to feel self conscious, part of her brain telling her she’s nothing compared to the god in front of her but his hands are on her before she can rationalize those thoughts. Her breath hitches at the scrape of his calloused palms on the soft skin of her stomach. His touch alone has goosebumps forming on her skin, the gentleness hiding the raw strength she knows he possesses. 

 

“You’re beautiful.” His hand slips behind her back as he leans over her again, his lips finding their spot on her neck again. She arches for him as he undoes the latch on her bra, tossing it to the side with her shirt. His hands are warm on her skin, his lips following his hands as they move down her chest.    

 

Her entire body flushes as he forgoes touching her breasts, heading straight between her legs. His hands make quick work of the button on her jeans, pulling them down her legs, leaving her in just her panties.

 

The lust between them is like a haze, driving both of them closer and closer. Their touches are needy now, sloppy as their souls fight to get closer, inches away from complete bonding but those inches seem like miles. Arthur stands, kicking off his boots and stripping out of his jeans, leaving him naked. 

 

Marina’s eyes widen as she takes him in, standing over her. He’s big in every sense of the word, just as she had thought. “Oh god.” She breathes, her eyes drawn between his legs. 

 

“Not quite.” He smirks, kneeling down in the sand again.

 

Arthur moves back between her legs, nipping at the skin of her inner thighs. His beard scratches the sensitive skin, her hips squirming at the sensation. He teases the skin around her panties for a moment before tugging them off, revealing her completely. He stares down at her for a moment, not long enough for the self-conscious part of her brain to ring the bells, but long enough to take her in. His hands keeping her thighs apart, the pink lips between her legs glistening with desire already. 

 

He leans over, wrapping an arm around her before flipping them. Marina’s head is swimming with desire, her body almost trembling as she reaches down and wraps a hand around him. He’s thick and heavy in her hand, his eyes lidded as she moves over him. Neither of them waste any time, his hand holding her hips as she guides him home, pressing herself down on him. 

 

She takes it inch by inch, finding no resistance as she works to take him completely. She feels fuller than she ever has before, not that she has much experience. She moves until she bottoms out, full to the brim, his tip bumping against her cervix. She takes a moment to breathe before she starts to move, his hands guiding her movements. She rolls her hips, hands braced against the hard plains of his stomach. Her body is in tune with his every movement, every breath seeming to flow as one. The very atoms that make up her being gravitating towards his, pulling them closer and closer to some edge neither of them can see. 

 

Her pace quickens, moans escaping her lips as a simple shift of her hips as her clit dragging against his pelvis with every move. His moans mix with hers, his own hips lifting to meet hers as she moves, the wet heat he’s surrounded by nearly enveloping his entire being. His name escapes her lips in a sigh, back arching as pleasure rolls through her body. 

 

It doesn’t take either of them long, Arthur flipping them again as they both grow close to the edge. He takes over control, holding himself up over her as his hips move, snapping against hers. The sound of flesh slapping flesh echoes in the surrounding cove, mixing with their moans as he pushes them both towards the edge. He buries his face in her neck as he feels her tighten around him, her body shaking as she reaches her orgasm. 

 

It takes her breath away, everything seeming to still for a moment as sheer pleasure runs through every cell in her body. She’s suddenly aware of everything and nothing all at once, her vision white but she can hear the waves hitting the sand with a new intensity. She can feel every grain of sand against her back, every inch of Arthur as he stills over her, groaning out her name as he reaches his end, her very soul opening up to him and accepting him in. She can almost feel his soul too, surrounding her and wrapping her in warmth. That warmth slowly shrinks, settling into her soul, setting the final link in place between them. 

 

Arthur’s breath is hot against her skin, a stark contrast to the cold air surrounding them. Neither of them have moved, still wrapped together as their souls complete their bonding, linking them together for life. 


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a filler. Lots of talk.

Arthur and Marina lay out in the sand, both of them damp again after washing themselves off in the waves. Arthur had donned his pants again, Marina having gotten her shirt and panties on before Arthur had pulled her against his side. It had been hard fighting the drive between their souls to complete the bond. Most soulmates did it right away, not wanting to struggle against the need to fulfill the bond between them. Now there was a peacefulness in both of their souls, like a cord had been loosened and they could finally breathe. 

 

“Why didn’t we do that sooner?” Arthur asks, his fingers tracing patterns on her arm. 

 

“Because we had other things to worry about. We still have things to worry about.” 

 

“I feel better now though. It feels...complete now.” 

 

Marina smiles, lacing her fingers with his. “I know.” She nuzzles her face against his chest, taking in his naturally briny smell. “Who was your first?” 

 

He gives her an insulted look. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” 

 

She leans up on her arm, giving him a look back. “No one’s that good their first time.” 

 

He laughs, pulling her back down against his chest. “It was my highschool graduation party. Back of my dad’s truck in the middle of the woods. Her name was Janna Evans. I’d known her since kindergarten. She was on the basketball team. She got a scholarship to Gonzaga and moved across the country. Haven’t seen her since. You?” 

 

“Senior prom. Back of his mom’s car. His name was Roger Matthews. First chair cello in the school’s orchestra. I don’t know what happened to him. First and only.” 

 

“Mine too. Just...didn’t feel right.” 

 

Marina nods, listening to Arthur’s heartbeat. “It didn’t. But that...what just happened...was amazing.” 

 

Arthur smiles, pulling her up for a kiss. “It was pretty awesome.” 

 

He kisses her for a few moments, both of them relishing in the newly strengthened bond between them. Marina’s stomach growling breaks the silence, causing her to pull away from his lips with a laugh. 

 

“We should probably get back. The tide’s coming in anyways.” Arthur steals another kiss before sitting up, finding the rest of their clothes. 

 

He takes them back to his parent’s house, using the towels his mother had set out that morning to dry off as much as they can. They slip inside, feeling like naughty teenagers as they make their way up to Arthur’s room, both of them changing into dry clothes. 

 

*******

 

Atlanna can tell as she watches Arthur and Marina during lunch. They way they move around each other, Arthur’s inability to stop touching her: her hand, her hair, her arm. Any chance he gets his hand is somewhere on her. Only one thing can bring about that kind of desperation for intimacy and Atlanna knows. 

 

“So you two finally, what’s the human phrase? ‘Took it to the next level?’” 

 

Marina’s cheeks heat up, practically blushing to her toes. “We...I...we… you can tell?” 

 

Atlanna nods. “You have the look. That, and Arthur can’t keep his hands to himself.” 

 

Marina blushes again. “It just...feels so different now.” 

 

“I was wondering when it would happen. I’m surprised you made it that long.” 

 

“Well...we didn’t want to...in the house…” 

 

Atlanna squeezes her shoulder gently. “We wouldn’t have cared. It’s a natural process in a relationship.” 

 

Marina feels like her entire body is going to burst into flames, unable to form words in her embarrassment. 

 

“So, when should I be expecting grandkids?” 

 

Marina stutters for a moment, nearly spitting out her drink. She hadn’t even thought about the repercussions of her and Arthur’s moment on the beach and the possibility, well, guarantee of more moments like that one. She was willing to bet Atlantean reproduction was different and would therefore render her birth control most likely ineffective. She didn’t even know if Arthur wanted children. They hadn’t quite gotten to that talk yet with everything else going on. And what had happened between them had just happened so suddenly, there was no real time to discuss things of that nature. 

 

 “I...well...probably not for a while. But if it did happen unexpectedly, I wouldn’t be upset.” 

 

******

 

Marina stares out Arthur’s bedroom window at the ocean. The sun had set a while ago and the ocean was nothing but a dark endless void in the distance. Marina hadn’t been able to stop thinking about her conversation with Atlanna earlier. She had taken the final plunge with Arthur without even thinking about what would come after. She was only human but Arthur wasn’t. Sure he was half-human, but he seemed more and more like an Atlantean the more she came to understand him. Not only that, but he was the King of Atlantis too. He had a lot of responsibility on his plate, responsibility that he had been pushing aside for her. What would happen if she did get pregnant? She couldn’t live with him in Atlantis, and the likelihood of their child being able too as well would be small. Their child would only be a quarter Atlantean. Would that be enough? Arthur had told her how long it took the Atlanteans to accept him as a half-Atlantean. Their children would be mostly human. Would they suffer a worse fate than their father? What would the repercussions be for Arthur if his children were unable to become his heirs? 

 

Warm arms wrapping around her draw Marina out of her thoughts. She hadn’t even heard Arthur approach her. He could be silent when he wanted to, for such a large being. 

 

“You’re thinking too much.” He buries his face in her hair, his breath warm against her scalp.

 

“Sorry. Just...got a lot on my mind.” 

 

She can feel him smile, starting to move her backwards towards the bed. “Care to share?” 

 

Marina is silent for a moment, Arthur lifting her onto the bed before settling down with her. She turns to face him, making out his features in the dark room, her fingers going to his bare chest and the smooth skin there. “Arthur...what would happen if...if we had...kids?” 

 

Arthur leans up on his elbow, looking down at her with a smile. “Then I would be the happiest man in the world.” 

 

Marina smiles but she can’t keep it on her face. “I know, but...they’d be mostly human.” 

 

“And I would love them just the same.” Arthur cups her face, his thumb brushing her cheek. “What’s got you thinking about children?” 

 

“Your mother knows that we...consummated our bond.” 

 

Arthur laughs, wrapping an arm around her and pulling her on top of him. “Don’t worry. She’s not trying to pressure you. We don’t have to have kids until we’re ready.” 

 

“Yeah, but...I don’t think my birth control extends to Atlantean extremes.” 

 

“Don’t worry about that either. I have an implant.” 

 

“You...what?” 

 

Arthur grins at her. “Atlantean technology is very advanced and in their culture, men are the ones who get birth control. I got the implant not long after I met you and I’ll keep it until we’re both ready.” 

 

Marina smiles, resting her head against his chest. “I think you’re the greatest man I’ve ever met.” 

 

“Aww, thanks darlin.” He kisses her forehead. “Now stop worrying about kids and get some sleep.” 


End file.
